Yes, Jane, There is a Santa Claus
by coolbyrne
Summary: Yes, it's a Christmas fic in July!


TITLE: Yes, Jane, There is a Santa Claus

AUTHOR: coolbyrne

RATING: K+

SUMMARY: Yes, it's a Christmas fic in July!

A/N: Just a bit of fluff I wanted to get down on paper before Christmas came and I forgot. I get a lot of people asking me if my stories are Rizzles. No, they haven't gone down that route, but I like to think they're always thisclose to tripping and falling into a kiss. They get it, everyone around them gets it, and they have it all there except the physical aspect. They just need that little push. Currently, my stories don't offer that push. But I hope they still offer enjoyment for the reader. My thanks to missmaclay for the Dutch help, and my thanks to happycamper5 for making every day Christmas.

...

"What, Ma? I'm knee-deep in an autopsy right now." Jane shifted her weight to one foot and raised an eyebrow at Maura. "No, Ma, that's no way to answer the phone and no, I'm not really knee-deep in an autopsy. Maura's elbow-deep though, does that count?" Jane made a face at the pathologist, who shook her head and continued her task. "Wait, what? You want me to do what?"

This got Maura's attention. Stopping her threading mid-stitch, she tilted her head at the detective and mouthed, "What?"

Jane closed her eyes and let her head fall back. "Are you kidding me? It's two days before Christmas, Ma!" Pause. "Yeah, I'm aware you're aware." Pause. "Why didn't you order it online?" She pinched the bridge of her nose but it brought no relief. "Where am I supposed to find it?" Pause. "Right. If you knew where I could find it, you would have found it. Makes perfect sense." She held out the phone and rolled her eyes as the indecipherable chatter continued. To a curious Maura, she said, "Ma has her heart set on this gift for TJ. It was a toy Tommy had when he was a kid." The noise stopped from the phone and Jane spoke into it. "I'm just telling Maura. No, I don't know if she knows where to find it. I'll ask."

With a dramatic sigh, Jane turned to the blonde. "Maura," she said loud enough for her mother to hear it through the phone, "do you know what a Land of the Dinosaurs Prehistoric Playset is?"

She made a face. "I'm sorry, Jane. I'm pleased that it sounds scientific," she added helpfully.

"Maura doesn't know what it is," Jane said into the phone, "which means she doesn't know where to find it." The indecipherable chatter started again, forcing Jane to concede. "All right, all right, Ma. I'll find it. Yes, today. Okay. Hanging up now."

"It is the season of giving," Maura said with an apologetic smile at the detective's dilemma.

"Yeah," Jane agreed, "and the headache my mother gives me is a gift I get all year long."

Maura's mouth twitched in amusement. "What exactly was all that about?"

Jane sighed and leaned against the autopsy table. "You remember that gift Santa gave Tommy when he was 3, Janie?" The brunette's impression of her mother was uncanny. "No, Ma," she said, returning to her own voice, "I don't remember a gift Santa gave Tommy over 30 years ago! But I do remember the gift Santa didn't give me that year!"

Maura carefully placed the needle and scissors on a nearby tray. "This is clearly something you need to discuss."

"What's there to discuss?" Jane fumed. "I wanted a Lite-Brite."

"Mmm-hmm," Maura prodded. "And you got...?"

Jane looked down at her boots. "I gotta ezeebaykuvn."

Tilting her head forward, Maura asked, "Pardon?"

"I got an Easy-Bake Oven," she repeated loudly. Seeing Maura bite the inside of her cheek, Jane pointed a finger directly at her. "Don't you dare laugh!"

With pressed lips, Maura said, "Well, I can certainly see why you'd be upset."

Ignoring the thinly veiled sarcasm, Jane continued, "And now I've got to find this dinosaur playset for TJ. Two days before Christmas."

"I've got time," Maura stated as she tossed her latex gloves into a nearby receptacle. "I could go with you. I'm sure you have some last minute shopping to do."

"Me? I haven't shopped at the mall since the internet was invented and I found out I could get Black Friday sales online."

Sighing, Maura said, "Regardless. Would you like me to go with you?"

"I'd like to not go at all." Maura's face remained one of infinite patience, and finally, Jane shrugged. "Fine."

"Let me get my coat," Maura said, pleased at the decision. Having some sympathy for Jane's predicament, she added, "La Bakeria has a special Christmas pastry I've been dying to try."

Jane's face lit up and she smiled, knowing Maura's feigned interest in the dessert was strictly for her benefit. "Why didn't you say so in the first place? Let's go!"

...

Her joy was short-lived as they pulled into the parking lot of the mall. Cars and people crammed and crawled over every inch of pavement. They had already circled the lot four times in an effort to find a parking spot.

"Think of the pastry, Jane," Maura said, sensing the tension.

Jane's fingers gripped the steering wheel and her nostrils flared. "If I don't see a spot in the next two minutes, you don't want to know what I'll be thinking."

Fortunately, those thoughts never saw the light of day. "Jane!" Maura said, pointing. "There!"

Years of reflexes honed in the line of duty and the racing classes Maura had given Jane for her birthday clearly paid off, if only in the skill of nabbing a parking spot from under the nose of a very irate Hummer owner.

"Jane!" Maura exclaimed as they slammed into the spot.

Throwing the car into park, Jane brightly proclaimed with a grimace, "We're here!"

"Yes, but I think I left my stomach around the corner."

"Ha ha," the brunette mock-laughed. Unclipping her seatbelt, she opened the door and slid out of the car. As she made her way to the other side of the vehicle, the driver of the Hummer rolled down his window and gave her the finger.

"You're lucky you're a woman!"

She spun around and pulled back her coat to reveal the badge. "Pardon?" The window quickly rolled up and the behemoth inched away. "That's what I thought," she grumbled. Holding out her hand, she helped Maura out of the car and glanced down. "Four inch heels on winter boots, Maura? Really?"

Maura waved away the fashion commentary but gratefully accepted the offered arm, and the two women made their way to the mall's entrance.

"We need a plan," she announced.

"What do you mean?"

"Before we go in," Maura explained. "We need a plan." Seeing the raised eyebrow, she sighed. "Jane. It's 4 floors and 185 stores. We can't just go in blind." An idea struck. "Give me your phone."

"Don't change my settings," Jane said as she handed over the device.

Maura chuckled. "Your settings are the factory settings." She swiped her thumb across the screen several times.

"Maura, Christmas is in two days."

Ignoring the jibe, Maura handed the phone back to the impatient woman. "This mall has an app you can set to direct you to certain stores or suggest where you might find certain items."

"And you've used it to find toys?"

Maura glanced away guiltily. "Well, no. I've used it to find shoes and lingerie. But the premise is the same," she quickly added.

Now it was Jane's turn to chuckle, but she decided to let her off the hook. "So you've set this to highlight toy stores?"

"Yes," she replied, glad to change the subject. "Why don't I take the 3rd and 4th floor and you take the 1st and 2nd? We can text each other if one of us finds it first."

Jane nodded. She had to admit it sounded like a good plan. She only had one thing to add. "If we don't find this playset in one hour, we're out. La Bakeria closes at 9."

"Okay," Maura agreed. Clapping her hands together, she said, "Should we do an encouraging cheer?" The brunette entered the mall without a word. "Jane?"

...

According to the app, there were only two toy stores on the 4th floor and three on the 3rd, but getting to them seemed to be the stumbling block. It took five minutes just to get to an elevator and another five for one to arrive. Maura held her breath in the small space and tried not to think of all the communicable diseases potentially drifting around her. A small boy coughed without covering his mouth and she almost groaned out loud. The ding of the elevator couldn't come soon enough and the tight cube of bodies practically spilled out onto the 4th floor. With a deep breath behind a gloved hand, Maura glanced down at her phone. A big box toy store was first on the list.

...

_Move, move, move_, Jane silently chanted to the sea of people who didn't seem to know the meaning of the word. On more than one occasion already, Jane had reached for her gun until common sense prevailed. She could see the headline now:

_**Boston Homicide Detective Decks the Halls- With Gunshots!**_

_'I was just looking for a dinosaur playset!' cop whines in feeble defense_.

So, instead of gunfire, she none too politely pushed her way through the teeming masses who clearly had no idea where they were going. She was equal distance from both toy stores on the first floor..._Of course_...so she went with the one on the left. For once, she regretted her height, because it meant she could see over the people ahead of her. It didn't take long to realize she might as well have been a grain of sand on the beach. With a resigned sigh and a another touch of her gun, she plowed forward.

...

Though she'd never experienced a crowd that had the density of one composed of last minute Christmas shoppers, Maura was no stranger to the experience of shopping, and her focused determination when it came to finding her favourite shoes transferred well to finding a dinosaur playset. Except for the fact she had yet to find it. Out of the five stores chosen by her app, four had come up empty. She didn't hold much hope for the fifth, until she saw a box on display in the window.

There it was - Land of the Dinosaurs Prehistoric Playset, the box painted in watercolours of all the dinosaurs it promised on the inside. Maura quickly entered the store and caught the attention of an older gentleman behind the counter.

"Can I help you, Miss?"

"Yes," she answered brightly. "That dinosaur set in the window. I'd like to purchase it."

"Oh, I'm sorry," he apologized, "it's not for sale."

Maura blinked. "Perhaps I misspoke. I need to purchase it. It's...," she prepared herself for the oncoming itch, "it's for a young boy whose... dying wish is to have that set." She tightened her collar around her neck.

The man's face fell and Maura felt the guilty flush creep into her cheeks. "I'm terribly sorry. Is he your son?"

"What? Oh, no. He's... he's my... nephew, and his grandmother promised him this toy." It was only the partial truth that kept Maura on her feet and the stars from her eyes.

He came from behind the counter. "Are you all right, Miss?"

"Yes, yes," she assured him. "I just get quite emotional talking about it." The stars were back.

He gently touched her arm. "I should have clarified - it's not for sale because it's only the display box. It's empty. I've been meaning to take it out of the window for days. I sold the only set we had last week."

"Oh, no," she whispered, defeated.

"I really am sorry," he apologized once more. "Is there nothing else you might consider giving?"

Taking a deep breath, she looked around the quiet store. "You're not very busy," she noted.

Shrugging, he smiled. "We're a vintage shop. Most kids want new toys. Electronics with sounds and bright lights. And I don't think they mean _that_." He pointed to a shelf in the corner.

A smile spread across Maura's face. "I'll take it."

...

"Hey!" She bent down to pick up the object that had hit her in the back of the head. Turning, she pinned a young boy of about 7 to the floor with her gaze. "Did you throw this?"

Busted, he sheepishly said, "Sorry?"

She looked around the toy store, filled to capacity with parents and kids alike. "Where's the other one?"

"The other one what?"

"You kids run in packs, so there's got to be another one. Where is he?" When he hesitated, she pulled back her coat to show the badge.

"Guys!" the boy yelled out. On cue, two floppy-haired boys stepped out from behind a display of robots.

She looked at the trio and adopted her best cop voice. "Where are your parents?"

"Hopefully next door buying me the new 'Assassin's Creed'," one of the boys piped up.

"Isn't that game a little mature for you?" Jane said, and could only shake her head when the boy shrugged. "Okay, listen. You're not in trouble. In fact, I need your help. What are your names?"

"I'm Brandon," answered the boy who threw the ball. He pointed to his video gamer friend. "That's Justin. That's Matt."

Jane pulled out her phone and found an image. "I'm looking for this toy. It's a dinosaur playset for my nephew. I will give 20 dollars to the first person who can find it for me."

"Twenty bucks?" Justin scoffed. "What are we gonna buy for 20 bucks?"

"Listen, you little hustler-" She took a deep breath and sighed. "How much is your game?"

"Sixty."

"Sixty?" Another deep breath. "Fine. I'll give you 60 dollars if you find this toy. But if I find it before you, you get nothing. And I might arrest you for bribing a police officer."

The three boys gathered around the phone for one last look, then they were off like a flash. Jane didn't even bother to start looking. Instead, she got into the checkout line, figuring the time it took the boys to find the toy would be shorter than how long it would take the line to get moving. She tried to shut out the screaming children and frazzled parents and thought about the coffee shop she saw on her way into the store. Visions of a gingerbread latte with extra whipped cream danced in her head.

...

"Did you know the red and white suit we associate with Santa Claus didn't come into being until the late 1800's? Though it's often mistakenly tributed to Haddon Sundblom's work with Coca-Cola, it was actually Thomas Nast's interpretation for Harper's Weekly that set the template for Santa as we know him now."

"Really?" asked the bored server. He adjusted his Santa hat and shouted her order to the barista.

"Yes," Maura happily continued. "Of course, it's North America that really popularized the suit. In many parts of Europe, Saint Nicholas is still portrayed in bishop's robes."

"That's great," he said. "Next!"

Maura frowned at his lack of interest and shot him a look of disapproval before moving to the end of the counter. The barista handed her the hot drink and smiled. "The term 'Santa Claus' is derived partly from the Dutch figure 'Sinterklaas' who honours Saint Nicholas."

"Yes," she beamed as she took the drink. "Thank you."

"Fijne Sinterklaas."

"And Happy Christmas to you."

...

_I got it. Let's get out of here._

_Oh good! I'm at the coffee shop on the 2nd floor._

_Don't move._

"I said, 'Don't move'," she whispered as she scanned the coffee crowd for Maura. "Damn it!" Stomping up to the counter, she pointed to the gingerbread latte. "The biggest one you've got." Handing the money to the clerk, she couldn't help but say, "Did you know Coca-Cola's the reason Santa Claus is red and white?"

The clerk raised an eyebrow. "Funny, someone just told me it was Thomas Nast's illustration in Harper's Weekly."

Their eyes met and Jane's narrowed. "Was she about this tall?" She held out a hand against her shoulder. "Blonde? Looked like she just stepped out of a fashion shoot?"

"Stacked?"

"Hey!" Jane said, pointing a warning finger at the young man. "I mean, yeah, but you know. Hey."

"Foamy green soy drink thing?"

She nodded and he laughed. "That must be her."

"You didn't happen to see which way she went, did you?"

He gave her a look as if to say, 'Are you kidding me?'

"Yeah, right. The place is packed. Thanks for your help." She slid down to the end and waited for her drink. Looking around, she realized even her height wasn't going to be an advantage in picking out one person in a sea of bodies.

"Excuse my unhelpful co-worker," the barista said, and as she handed over the drink, she added, "She's over at the Victoria's Secret window." Before Jane could put her accusatory expression into words, she smirked. "Come on. You must have people looking at her all the time. Boy, I'd love to wake up and find her wrapped under my tree," she said wistfully. "Beauty and brains? Every day would be Christmas."

"Maybe if you're very good, Santa will leave you one," Jane replied, surprised at the realization that she wasn't entirely offended by the barista's words.

The smirk never left the woman's face. "You must be Santa's exception." She tilted her chin in the direction of the lingerie store. "If you want to get out of here any time soon, you'd better go get her. Looks like she's making a move to go in. Of course, that might not be such a bad way to spend the day."

Jane tried to give the girl a stern look, but the twitch at the corner of her mouth betrayed her. "Merry Christmas."

...

"See anything you like?" Maura asked without turning around.

Jane blinked, startled out of her reverie. "Yes," she said simply. Realizing the honesty in her answer, she quickly added, "How did you know I was standing here?"

Maura tapped at the window, drawing attention to the red lace bra and panty set. Jane's mouth went dry.

"I saw your reflection," the blonde explained with a sly smile.

"Mmmm," was Jane's only reply. Summoning more than a word and a sound, she looked down and said, "I knew you were going to do last minute shopping. What did you get?"

Maura moved the bag slightly and shrugged. "Oh, just something I saw for Bass." Changing the subject, she glanced at the bag in Jane's hand. "You got the playset?"

"Yeah. Cost me 80 dollars, but I got it."

"Eighty dollars?"

"I'll explain in the car. La Bakeria closes in an hour and it's going to take us at least 30 minutes to get out of the damn parking lot."

...

"All right, kids! Santa's been here! Come on!" Angela bellowed from the living room.

"Ma!" Jane yelled back. "Who are you calling? We're all here."

"Well, come into the living room," the matriarch ordered. "You know it's tradition to do the Santa gifts first."

"Yeah, yeah," Jane grumbled as she padded her way into the living room.

"I love your pajamas," Maura whispered when the detective sat beside her.

"I'm still trying to figure out where Ma found flannel PJs with little cop cars and badges on them."

"Okay, is everyone settled?" Angela asked.

Maura looked around her living room. Frankie and Tommy were good-naturedly wrestling near the tree. Lydia and TJ were sitting in a nearby chair, the young boy's eyes wide and bright at the colourful presents. And Jane sitting to her right, the brunette's left hand lazily resting on Maura's thigh while her right hand clutched her first morning coffee.

Maura smiled. "We're all settled, Angela."

"Let's get this show rolling!" Frankie announced with a clap. "As the oldest male in the house, the duty of handing out the Santa gifts falls on me this year. I just want you to know, I consider it an honour, and I hope I do you all proud. This is my first-"

"The gifts, Frankie!" Angela, Tommy and Jane yelled in unison.

"All right, all right. Jeez." He grabbed the nearest gift. "For you, Ma."

Jane leaned into Maura and whispered, "It's an apron."

"How do you know?" Maura whispered in return.

"It's tradition. She gets it every year. Frankie gets socks. Tommy gets underwear. I get-" Frankie handed her a gift bag. "Lavender spray from The Body Shop." She opened the bag and pulled out a purple bottle. "Thanks, Ma. I'm almost down to my last six bottles."

Angela glowered. "You can thank Santa, Jane."

"You're part of the Rizzoli family tradition now, Maura," Frankie said as he handed her a bag. "Santa says 'Merry Christmas'."

"Oh," she replied, caught by surprise. Cautiously reaching in, she pulled out something wrapped in tissue paper. Carefully peeling back the layers, she revealed a small cup and saucer.

"Oooh, Santa's gettin' fancy with you," Angela said with a smile.

"It's just the right size for your espresso," Jane explained, "and you'll remember Santa gave it to you every time you finish a cup." She tilted it forward so Maura could see the smiling snowman on the bottom. "_And_, it's just the right gift that Santa will remember to get you every single year."

Maura laughed softly and looked around the room. "Thank you, Santa."

Frankie held up a small bag. "There's a gift here for Bass," he announced, slightly puzzled.

"Yeah, that's from me," Tommy confessed, raising his hand. "What?" he asked at the looks that went his way. "I knew Santa got Jo somethin', so I felt kinda bad for Bass. I mean, he's just a turtle, but he's got feelings too, right?"

Jane waited for Maura to make the correction, and her mouth dropped when nothing came. "You're not going to correct him? I get corrected every time!" Maura's face was one of calm and patience. Jane was having none of it. "It's a tortoise, Tommy."

"Yeah, okay," he replied. "I didn't want him to get nothin'."

"Should I open it, Tommy?" Maura asked gently.

"We'll be here all day if we wait for Bass to do it, am I right?" he joked.

Maura pulled open the top of the bag and tilted her head in confusion. "It's... a mirror," she revealed as she held it up.

"I thought maybe you'd put it over where he usually eats," Tommy explained. "I mean, I worry he gets lonely or somethin'. But if he sees his reflection, maybe he'll think he's got someone to hang around with."

Maura stood up and walked over to him. "That was very thoughtful, Tommy. Thank you." She bent down and hugged him tightly before returning to her place beside Jane.

"Jane, Santa gave you two gifts this year," Frankie said.

She frowned and looked at Maura. "You must have been very good," the blonde shrugged.

Frankie placed the box on his sister's lap and sat back. All eyes were on her now and even Jane had to admit she was curious. Sliding a finger under an edge of the wrap, she pushed it forward and tore the paper until the gift was partially revealed. She looked at Maura, and without thought or shame, leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "I love you for this," she whispered.

"C'mon, Janie, what is it?"

She tore at the rest of the paper until the box was unwrapped for all to see.

"A Lite-Brite?" Angela said.

"Oh man!" Tommy exclaimed. "You wanted that when you were like 8 years old!"

"You were 3, Tommy," Jane said. "You don't remember that."

"Oh, I remember that," he nodded.

"Yeah," Frankie chimed in, "I remember it, too. You cried when you got the Easy-Bake Oven instead."

"I did not!" She saw the dubious looks and amended, "They were happy tears."

Angela frowned. "You didn't like the oven?"

"It was 30 years ago. Can we get over it?" Jane asked.

"Better late than never, I suppose," Maura stated. "Even when it comes to Santa Claus." She held Jane's gaze, and as they had grown to do over the years, they said more to each other through looks than with words. "Merry Christmas, Jane," she whispered. Hooking her arm through Jane's, she leaned in and didn't let go. "Where's TJ's gift? I'm very curious about it."

"You didn't see it?" Angela asked.

"No," Maura replied. "We ended up being so busy these last two days that I never got a chance."

"Oh, you'll love it. Tommy, help TJ open it."

"It's a big bag, isn't it?" Tommy said as he stood beside the chair. The two parents smiled at each other and helped the rambunctious infant open the bag. "Watch, I'll show you what it is," he told his son, and carefully pulled out the box. "Oh my god, Ma!" Tommy practically shrieked. "I had this as a kid, Lydia!" He held up the box to show the room.

"Land of the Dinosaurs Prehistoric Playset," Frankie read. "I stepped on so many of those stupid little cavemen."

"Cavemen?" Maura repeated.

"Yeah," Frankie explained, "you get a bunch of dinosaurs and a handful of cavemen. Tommy always tried to make the T-Rex eat them. I caught him chewing on one once and he told me it was the dinosaurs that did it."

"But dinosaurs and cavemen didn't exist together," the doctor protested. "In fact, there is a span of approximately 60 million years between the last appearance of the dinosaur and the first evidence of what would ultimately evolve into _homo sapiens_."

"He loved that playset," Angela remembered. "We thought he might even want to become a dinosaur scientist."

"A paleontologist, Ma," Jane clarified.

"Jane," Maura fiercely whispered, "I _lied_ to someone I thought could get me that playset. I practically had a vasovagal episode in the toy store."

"And that's the story we'll tell TJ when he gets older," Jane replied. "It's better than me telling him I paid three 7-year old hustlers 60 bucks to find it for me."

TJ held up one of the dinosaurs and Jane quickly reached over to cover Maura's mouth. "It's pink." The blonde's muffled voice vibrated against Jane's palm.

"I know, sweetie," Jane soothed, "but it's also Christmas." She lowered her hand and hugged the box on her lap. "And it's a great Christmas."

Seeing the look of absolute joy on the face of the woman beside her, Maura could hardly disagree.

... end


End file.
